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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The ________________ took off on time.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. club — for golf
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. scale — in music
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. plane — in geometry
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. plane — an aircraft
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. scale — size or range
  17. plane — a tool
  18. date — the fruit
  19. wound — an injury
  20. wound — an injury
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. club — for dancing
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. scale — for weighing

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com